Vice President Joe Biden hit ABC, NBC, and CBS last night to stump for his boss’ foreign policy credentials post-debate — even though President Obama noted to Mitt Romney “even some in my own party, including my current vice president, had the same critique as you did” of the operation to get Osama bin Laden.
Biden charged that Romney “demonstrated an overwhelming lack of understanding in the international community” last night.
“As I said, he’s a nice guy and was a great businessman but I don’t — he — I mean my guess is, again, I’m not a pollster and I’m — I’m — I’m out of my depth here, but I would be dumbfounded if day and two and three and five and six days from now they thought that he had demonstrated a command of the international circumstances, America’s vision of the world, that he was — be a credible Commander in Chief,” the veep said on NBC.
On ABC, Biden said he “felt a little badly” for Romney “because it’s clear he is not — he is not ready to be the commander in chief of the United States military.”
“He demonstrated the lack of sophistication, about what’s going on in the world. His rapid change in his positions.”
On CBS, Biden — like the debate itself — turned to domestic policy.
“There’s still — there’s a great deal of hope and change. We’re also talking about the fact that 41 states, the unemployment rate has gone down,” he said. “…And it’s totally appropriate to point out that Governor Romney and Congressman Ryan have moved their positions drastically.”
“Massive cuts in domestic spending, significant increases in tax cuts for the wealthy, and now — and now they’re saying, no-no-no, no-no-no, that’s not who we are. I think it’s totally legitimate to say that — who are you?”
“…I would be dumbfounded…”
Tell ‘em, Joe.
This is why I said last night that I had underestimated Mitt Romney and his abilities.
The first fifteen minutes of the debate, I sat in horror thinking we were watching a replay of the first debate with the roles reversed. But as the debate progressed, it became obvious that Mitt Romney was simply playing the Dimocratic counter attack game better than their ‘master’ orator, and letting Obama’s dismal record speak for itself.
And I noticed that Romney twisted the knife with simple comments without response:
“Nowhere are we appreciably better in the world since you took office, Mr. President.”
“Your own Sec. of Defense said your $1 trillion dollar defense cuts would be devastating.”
“I call it the Apology Tour, Mr. President because you called America dismissive and derisive (countries listed). We freed those countries.”
“You can’t have a strong national defense, when you have a weak economy (paraphrased) with a list of Obama’s most egregious failures.”
Beautifully simple and devastatingly effective, being polite and diplomatic – Dare I say, Presidential?
” We’re also talking about the fact that 41 states, the unemployment rate has gone down,” So, the Republicans control that many States?
Well, we’ll see if this spin works or not. My guess is, politically, it’s pi**ing into the wind, with the same consequences.
The American public is about to present Mitt Romney with a blank check to spend on matters of credibility, because they see how high Barack Obama gets praised in relation to deeds actually done, as well as his errors get minimized, and are going to start giving Mitt the benefit of the doubt accordingly, for their own self-interest.
The Democrats may have finally gone a bridge too far with spin, in a way that ends the game for a while. As I said, we’ll see in a few weeks.
If he feels bad, that’s his issue. But if he feels badly, it suggests some kind of neuropathy and may bear on his fitness to hold office.